July 1, 2011

Accretionary Wedge #35: Favorite Geology Words

Posted by Evelyn Mervine

As many of you know, I hosted the Accretionary Wedge Geoblog Carnival for June, and I asked What’s Your Favorite Geology Word? Turns out, many of you have favorite geology words! Geologists– like many scientists, I suppose– are fond of their jargon. Personally, I’m so fond of jargon that I blog about a geology word every week. I love many geology words, but if I had to pick an absolute favorite, it’s ophiolite.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated and shared a favorite geology word! The words are listed below, in the order in which they were posted. If I somehow missed your word, please let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it.

Jazinator of The Geology P.A.G.E. likes the Icelandic word jökulhlaup.

Reynardo of Musings of the Midnight Fox wrote a wonderful poem about the word volcano.

The Short Geologist of Accidental Remediation says that varves are not flashy, but they sure are pretty!

Ryan of Glacial Till says that he loves many geology words, but that welded tuff has to be one of his favorite geology phrases.

Jessica of Magma Cum Laude thinks autobrecciation is a really cool process– and she explains it very well, too!

Callan of Mountain Beltway is fond of the word boudinage, especially when said with “a heavy French accent and a leering, dirty expression.” 

Ian of Hypo-theses thinks crozzle has a great sound to it. I agree! What a fun word– almost sounds like a Dr. Suess word or maybe a something that a Jaberwocky might encounter. 

Denise of Life as a Geologist likes the word mylonite (or Míléngyáng in Chinese). She shares a beautiful Chinese poem with us and also some pictures of mylonites from Hong Kong.

Dana of En Tequila es Verdad seduced us with subduction.

David of History of Geology really likes geology, in several languages!

Shockingly, Chris of Highly Allochthonous likes the word allochthonous. His co-blogger Ann also likes the word allochthonous but for different reasons.

I swear that Brian of Clastic Detritus made up the word geophantasmogram. But I love the word anyway! I think Brian wins the internet (at least the geology part of the internet) with this word.

Jefferson of Anisotropic Reflections likes the folded rocks that hang out in an anticlinorium.

Elli of Life in Plane Light tells a wonderful story about how she first learned the word disthen.

Suvrat of Rapid Uplift came up with a word I cannot pronounce: primarrumf. I’m going to go ahead and pronounce the word “pirate’s rump” like Suvrat’s friend.

Silver Fox of Looking for Detachment tells us why she likes detachment. Also, she says everyone should become friends with Detachment Fault on Facebook.

Ron of the Geology Home Companion Blog had a little trouble settling on a favorite word but finally went for Tavurvur.

Mika of GeoMika thinks that rheology is an ugly word for a pretty science, but I disagree. I think rheology is a very pretty word. Rhea is also one of my favorite girls’ names!

Andrew of About Geology wrote about palinspastic. Interestingly, this was the very first geology word I blogged about during my previous (failed) attempts to keep up with the geology word of the week on Skepchick, a skeptical blogging group which I have recently left.

Simon writes about why he likes the word porphyroblast over at Earth Science Erratics.

Chuck of Lounge of the Lab Lemming is fond of the word sphene but not of that horrible “T-word.”

John of Geologic Musings in the Taconic Mountains also likes the word jökulhlaup.

Selim of GeoSelim explains why he likes the word isopach.

A Life-Long Scholar really likes mountains and the word orogenesis.

Julia of Stages of Succession cheated and picked two words: bioturbation and turbidite. It’s okay, Julia. I can’t really decide what my favorite geology word is, so I blog about one every week.

G of Gioscience also likes mountains, I assume, with a favorite word of orogeny. Did you hear that time that Antarctica Africa, and South America were caught in a three-way orogeny? Shocking, I tell you!

MyPhyz likes (in the comments) the word unconformity.

MK of Research at a Snail’s Pace is also fond of bioturbaton.

Tannis of Tannis Likes Rocks is fascinated by geohistory.

Finally, Jacquelyn starts a new blog called The Contemplative Mammoth with a post about playing with gyttja mud.

Thanks again to all the participants! If you have other favorite geology words, post them in the comments!